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Month: October 2015

This capitalist world has revolved around power and greed. Nothing really matters but working your ass off so you could pay the tax to the government that does little to enhance your living quality. So to start with my dissatisfaction with the government, I suggest that you to stop voting. Let me put it this way. Do not think your vote will definitely bring positive change.

When have we ever been so satisfied with the current leaders of our country? Politicians will be doing their jobs. Some do it well, others just get comfortable with the government fund and the privileges they receive. Either way, even if the government is doing something good for the country, what part do you play in it? All leaders have their agendas and their own prospects to make things work. I hardly see any positive change in the country. Be it parties you support or loathe, they will always play their part in doing something positive or negative, or simply maintain the situation of the country. You do not play a part in changing the country, or let me put it as a gamble. Once you have voted for someone, it is up to them to fulfill their promises which can be so easily broken and they will not feel guilty about it.

It doesn’t give me pride that I voted. I put the stamp on a random logo which I found to be creative. I’ve been told by many people that I should be interested in politics and that it is important. Well this is the stuff they teach you at school in social studies. As you grow, you should learn to think for yourself and know if your actions have any positive impact or any impact at all. What you can do is think of making a change for yourself. Do not trust the government, it’s bollocks. Do not listen to their speeches. This way you will know nothing of what the government has promised and you will never have that expectation of a better future. Instead, what we can do is find a way to make an impact all by ourselves. Do not even think that you will get support from the government. The only thing we need to do is play our part in contributing to the country. There are so many ways in which we can contribute to the country, be it not carrying plastic bags or riding a bicycle.

We cannot just accept the way society is moving. Remember Galileo, the scientist who said the Earth was round and was sent to prison? We blindly believed in something that has no reasons to be believed in. Society will resist change. People will ask you what political party interests you, and what is your religion? Does it really matter? We take the good from everything. I have my opinions and you may support me for some and criticize me for others. We should learn to realise for ourselves what impact our actions play. I have met people who were from the ministry, parliament and political parties. They obviously do not try to take down the country (some do), but they are visionaries. It’s just that we expect too much and it takes a lot of time to implement things. I believe that we should rather rely on our youths to build the country than expecting someone else to do the work.

Our country needs their youth now more than ever. From some old statistics, there’s an enrollment of a total of 3000 students from 42 universities in Nepal every year (stats of 2013). Though the sector of engineering in various areas, our country needs them more than ever. It is time to find a solution than being dependent to foreign countries. There isn’t any source of energy like uranium or oil in Nepal. We have relied on Hydropower for electricity but witnessing dozens of hours of power cut. We have also relied on petrol and gas from foreign countries cause there is not real supply from within the country. You might argue that there is no alternative to it. I disagree. Underground energy sources like oil, gas and coal sources are depleting and in the near future, these vehicles that we so expensively buy with double-triple value tax will have no source of fuel at all. By 2050, there is not going to be the supply of fuel as we have now, which we rely so much on. Before other countries to find a good alternative to life without oil, we could find an alternative to it with our young minds. We could rely on environment-friendly ways and renewable ones. Hell with it, we can even produce fuel from marijuana which is available in abundance in Nepal. After all, we need to be self-reliable, right?

I believe that we can change our view of relying on old men and women trying to become ministers. They will play their part, they have their panel to discuss what to do and have the funds or maybe support from other countries. We youths don’t have much to offer, but ideas, togetherness and commitment is all we need. We might need support, but we cannot be reliant. There is not much to be proud about the fact that Buddha being born in Nepal or Mount Everest and the beautiful mountains of the Himalayas lying in our country. Some incidents that occurred recently were barbaric. These facts don’t make us better human beings, but our commitment to bring change and rebuild it with our hands does. It is time to take a huge step and change the way how we live with expectations that our vote will make a difference. Think outside the box and be the solution our country and the entire world needs.

We were torn apart by wars, civil wars and earthquakes, but has these had any positive impact on our lives or has it been the same old story of going up the hill and going down tumbling after?

Everything was serene. It felt like there was goodness in the world. Smiles and laughter were all that surrounded. In these moments of bliss, you are happy and you think everyone else is. I’d link to think that happiness is contagious. It is in some way, but it depends on who wants to be with you. A friend bold or fool will be there in times of both sorrow and joy. These were the best days of my life, but not so good for some.

There has always been some comfort in sadness. It’s a shell that’s difficult to get out from. I recall the movie The Shawshank Redemption where people who have been in prison for long enough prefer to stay chained. Liberation isn’t something you will enjoy instantly. We hold on to what sticks to us, even the bad times. There I was leeched by a bond that brought me down more than it lit up. Losing love when I was happy didn’t make a difference. It felt like things before were temporary. All that matters is the state as of present. Now I look back at it, I was pampering someone who needed so much freedom. I do not need people to tell me when to stop taking an another glass of whiskey. I like to think of myself to be in control of everything.

In trying to be like someone else, we lose our own sense. We rush when people are waiting. We fight when we could have been enjoying the evening with a glass of wine while cold wind blows, all by yourself. There’s no need to have someone next to you every time. It hinders your approach to a solitary life and to shape your own destiny. Now there’s no one left to catch me and I’ve lost someone who would call me at unexpected times. The absence shall be felt for a while. Silence shall echo louder than words. Yet I keep in mind the bad things I’ve left behind.

The abuse of words shall never be witnessed in this manner. There is no need to understand someone else and freedom has arrived. No gifts to buy and nothing to receive. Nothing to expect and one less person to be disappointed in. After all as the proverb goes, ‘Trust no one who doesn’t like The Beatles’. There’s a difference in everyone but for some we compromise, for some we sacrifice. Perhaps we do not get along with some because the foundation and the philosophy that we follow are so different. Being friends is easy. All you have to do is be nice to them and perhaps sometimes there are too many ears to listen to.

Change is good and when people bring you down with their sorrows, you could stop trying to make things better. If it was important to me, I’d apologise without it being my mistake but perhaps the world turns, we smile and we pretend like it never happened. We don’t need negativity in life and we get rid of things that aren’t as important as they used to be. It goes on and with time we get used to newer things. To sum up, break-up’s haven’t been this easy.

I wouldn’t have done this, but my fellow friend @benjix21 requested that I write a blog about it. You might think of Led Zeppelin as a heavy metal and hard rock band, but it is more. Led Zeppelin is also an extremely good folk band. I feel that their acoustics songs are as good as their electric and each member of the band would make the line-up of my dream band. Without a doubt, this is the biggest and baddest band in existence. I felt horrible to miss out on some of my very favorite songs and it was hard for me to decide which songs to select for my list of top songs. So here I have made 2 lists, a short one for the acoustics and a longer one for the electrics.

If there are some newbies listening to Led Zeppelin, here is my take on the best Led Zeppelin songs.

Acoustics

5. Hey Hey What Can I DoIt’s pretty unfair ranking this song to no. 5. It’s here only cause the others were better. This song is a decent song, easy to listen to with a folk vibe. It is an easy cheerful song to play with some country instruments playing as well.

4. Bron-Yr-AurNamed after a lake in Wales, this is an instrumental and is one of Jimmy Pages finest acoustic performance. This short song gives the folk vibes with no drums but a very ambient sound in the background, guaranteed to give you a pleasant mood as if you’re sitting on a hill watching a river flow. The tunings are altered so it takes quite to set up the tuning and to learn the song. Also listen to Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp, it’s a little different tough.

3. Babe I’m Gonna Leave YouThis is a song with one of those very smooth guitar parts. It has a nice plucking rhythm guitar and has some very strong vocals from Robert Plant. It is a good song which sets up a decent mood. It has a little bit of Spanish feel with the guitar. Though acoustic, it has a good energy to it. Pretty decent song from Led Zeppelins untitled first album which ws entirely recorded in 30 hours.

2. Going to CaliforniaThis was my favorite country song for quite some while. This song has got Jimmy Page playing guitar in his alternate guitar tuning so it is hard to cover. John Paul Jones, as talented as he plays the Ukelele in it to give this song a unique vibe. With no drums again, Robert Plant has a good smooth vocal which covers up for it.

1. The Rain SongAgain one of those very hard songs to cover. This song is unreal. It is so good, it gets you sweeping. It the very soft guitar of Jimmy Page to some very slick orchestrated music, and the sweetness in Robert Plant’s vocals will get you melting. This song will set you to a slow, groovy mood. Makes it fell like it’s spring every time you listen to it.

Electrics

10. Good Times Bad TimesThere isn’t much to explain.but you’ve got to give the heads up to this song with fine drums from Bonzo. This song is a short and simple with a good melody to it. Nothing too special about it but it is a song with simple structure but there something in that simplicity which brings it here on the list by creating something out of nothing. It needs a good coordination to perform this song right.

9. No QuarterAs I’ve mentioned before, John Paul Jones’s talent has no limits. He plays the synthesizers this time around and owns it. The delay effect on vocal makes this song even better. The guitar isn’t heavy and is pretty slow. Yet another lengthy song but that’s the thing about Led Zeppelin. You don’t feel it’s unnecessarily long and you will enjoy the music throughout the song with some decent less highlighted solo.

8. When The Levee BreaksA couple of friends of mine would tell me that this is the best Zeppelin song and I wouldn’t doubt them. This song from Led Zeppelin IV, the same album with Stairway to Heaven probably overshadows this song but it’s got the calmness and composure. It’s a smooth flowing song, easy to listen with harmonicas, guitars and high reverb drums.

7. Dazed and ConfusedFrom the first album of Led Zeppelin, he shocks the audience by playing guitar with a violin bow. Though the Yardbird version of the song is poor, Plant manages to make a lot of improvement. It shows what a talisman Jimmy Page is and how innovative he is with producing a different never heard before sound with guitar effects and techniques which many still cannot get hold of. Every Ledhead is a sucker for this song. It won’t stop giving you the shrill. Pretty progressive, experimental and lengthy, there’s everything to be excited about.

6. The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair
You can’t find this on an published album but you can find it in their BBC Live session. It’s a song with a trippy blues progression with a good guitar solo with crunchy guitar and an excellent band performance. Many Ledheads don’t know about this performance so this is something you can brag about.

5. KashmirThis song is so good that you should forget about listening to covers of the song. It is a bit progressive and has a little bit of an orchestra with it. Without a doubt, no one in the world could possibly come close to Robert’s vocal in this song. It shows why he is the absolutely best and no one would dare argue that he is among the world’s very best vocalist. With the brilliance of the band’s composition, Kashmir is a song that puts Led Zeppelin among one of the best bands of the world. It will always leave you with goosebumps. Get ready for some slow head banging grove.

4. HeartbreakerYou could call this the signature Zeppelin song, one with a killer riff and an awesome guitar solo.Van Halen was influenced by Jimmy Page and came up with tapping when he saw the hammer on and pull offs that Jimmy presents in this song. The solo is purely about emotions and putting string bending to the limit. Also listen to Black Dog and Whole Lotta Love, which I listened to while I was a newbie and equally enjoyed them.

3. Stairway to HeavenPerhaps I don’t need to get started with this song. It is probably Led Zeppelins most famous song, one that probably everyone has heard. It’s got a stand out intro guitar and synthesizers making it mystique. It’s solo has been listed as the best solo in the world by Gibson guitar and why not. Jimmy absolutely nails it with a great combination of slow and smooth plucking to the soulful solo. The double neck Gibson guitar Jimmy uses on live performances is revolutionary. The song has some wise lyrics to the song and as a matter of fact, everyone bows to Zeppelin for this composition.

2. Since I’ve Been Loving YouThough Jimmy Page is known for his heavy guitar riffs, he shows how good he can play the blues. This is probably one of the best blues song that exisits. It’s not an easy song to cover, not even for people with expertise in blues guitar. This shows the other side of Page with versatility than you would normally imagine.

1. Over The Hills And Far AwayEverybody’s got their own choices right? For me, Over The Hills And Far Away was a song I listened to very late on since I listened to Zeppelin and I was astonished. I was walking in the middle of the streets listening to it in my experimental playlist in my iPod and I began dancing. It’s sets a pleasant mood and has got a soothing guitar with a perfect blend of clean and crunching guitar.

The following are a list of bands which I think are greatly underrated. Most of these musicians do not appear on most my friends playlist or do I ever hear them playing in a cafe or restaurant. I have rarely met people who say it’s their favorite band. Most of these names were never heard of by people. So here’s my view on the list of bands you could put into your awesome playlist.

Creedence Clearwater RevivalIt’s more than just ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain‘. Of course, I first heard that song and thought it was a good single but never bothered to listen to the band thinking it was some old blokes just playing guitar. Later on when I got bored with my playlist, I listened to a couple more of the and discovered it was one great band. The guitar is great, their stories are and perhaps they’re a little country oriented, but they are one cool, neat and tidy band. I’d love to have CCR on my playlist if I’m going on a long travel. My personal favorite ‘Suzie Q‘.

Mr.BigThis band is more than just Paul Gibert. I first heard ‘Wild World’ and then thought they were a cool acoustic band, a type that you would find in a coffee place. Turns out they are one absolutely gorgeous band. Songs like ‘Just Take My Heart’, ‘To Be With You’ were the ones I followed, but this band is an epitome of a hair metal band.T. RexIf you don’t know about T.Rex yet then I’d like to remind you that without Marc Bolan and the band, there would have been no glam metal meaning no Slash, KISS or Def Leppard. Perhaps they’re some old glamorous bloke but Bolan really is a greatly underrated figure. He was the cosmic man who would at times fold his knees, strum his hollow guitar and make a magical night. With outstanding compositions like ‘Lifes a Gas‘, ‘Get in On’ and ‘20th Century Boy’, perhaps they lack the respect from the newer generation. I haven’t heard anyone besides my dad who knows of this band.Dire StraitsThis is one very smooth band who probably hit a big time, but I feel needs a little more attention and respect. Mark Knoffler is a very talented guitarist and it’s because of people like him who are less respected that there has been a rise in influences to other genres than classical rock. Some songs like ‘Heavy Fuel’ have that punk attitude and they have various songs like ‘Romeo and Juliet‘ that would make you go dancing, making you feel like you’re under a spotlight. If only guitarist made Knoffler their idol, they would make pleasant rhythmic music than metal.Deep PurplePerhaps because of bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, this band never got enough of a bad ass reputation. They have a killer guitar and keyboard combination. I could never quite figure out when the solo is a guitar solo or a keyboard solo. From rash to reckless solos, this band is the kind of band you would play in an underground club like UFO alongside Pink Floyd. Their music certainly gets you headbanging. For beginners, give ‘Highway Star‘ a try.WhitesnakeIt’s yet another hair metal band that should be in the limelight. They are one of the smoothest bands I know that that get you both rocking or makes you put your hand up in the air, but I have not met more than a handful bunch of people who have actually even heard of this band. It was ‘Is This Love‘ was playing in Hard Rock in Delhi, but no one I know here has ever heard of such an 80’s piece of art.The PoliceIt’s more than just ‘Every Breath You Take‘ which has so many disco versions these days. Though Sting was an asshole, the band is altogether produced some very decent music. It made songs like ‘So Lonely‘ with lyrics supposed to make it more of a song something that sweeps your feet. The guitar work is amazing with some amazing harmonic techniques. A decent band that never got such a decent reputation.

ScorpionsThese Germans surely are pioneers of the early metal and hard rock genre. ‘Still Loving You‘, ‘Wind of Change‘, ‘Big City Nights‘, ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane‘ and many more? The guitars are absolutely amazing with very cool plucking and have kind of songs you would never skip while playing in your iPod. They deserve to be there among the greatest musicians to walk the earth.The VerveThis is a less known band where I come from. This band is so smooth and that kind of gives you a comfortable Radiohead kind of vibe, less the depression. Of course ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony‘ has to be their best song but every song you hear will set you the mood to listen to more of it. I personally love ‘One Day‘ and ‘Lucky Man‘. If you haven’t heard songs from this band, download it and give it a listen, not the other way around. Trust me, no matter which genre of genre you listen to, you wouldn’t be disappointed.Gary MooreThis guy here is the best man to take a sad song and make it better. He is definitely the most underrated guitarist on the planet but besides that fact, he is one damn good blues musician. If you haven’t heard songs like ‘Parisienne Walkways’ or ‘Walking By Myself’, you are in for a treat.